noun / verb
pity
PIT-ee/ˈpɪti/
Sorrow felt for someone's suffering or misfortune.
She feels pity for the elderly man and offers him another cane.
Etymology
Latin pietas developed from duty and loyalty to gentleness, kindness, and compassion. Pity preserves that compassionate sense, while its relative piety became associated with religious devotion.
In context
finally someone takes pity on him this person does not force open the box which would drive the man still further into madness but begins speaking to him
More examples
- I pity anyone who has to work in this heat.
- He wants practical help, not pity.
- It's a pity that your vacation ends today.
Forms
pity · pities · pitied · pitying
pitiful adjective — Deserving or arousing sorrow and compassion.
pitiless adjective — Showing no compassion for others' suffering.
Similar words
- sympathy
- Expresses concern for someone's troubles without necessarily implying inferiority.
- compassion
- Emphasizes caring about suffering and wanting to relieve it.